JOB EXPERIENCE EVENT SUCCESS STORIES PT. 2
Updated: 8 hours ago
During our recent Job Experience Event (JEE) at Morgan's Wonderland, we met with neurodivergent participants during lunch to chat about their favorite
job-training rotations along with long-term goals for employment.
Daniel Steelman
An East Central High School graduate with a knack for organization, 22-year-old Daniel Steelman explained that one of his favorite rotations was working in the Morgan's Wonderland gift shop, which entailed greeting guests, unpacking boxes and stocking the racks and shelves with T-shirts and souvenirs.
While he liked the organizational aspects, Daniel felt comfortable with the communication the job requires. "I'm an organized person," he said. "I'm really good at organizing my room to where I want it. [But I would also enjoy] helping the customers and asking them if they need any help finding anything."
Although he's never had a job, Daniel has applied for positions across San Antonio. "I applied at Walmart, I applied H-E-B, and I applied at Bricks & Minifigs, [which is] like a Lego store," he explained. "[Bricks & Minifigs] finally called me back and said that [all the openings had been filled] so they couldn't hire me. And I've been waiting for H-E-B or Walmart to call me or email me, but they haven't." An all-too-common occurrence that can discourage neurodivergent and neurotypical job seekers alike, that tricky territory is exactly what the Employ 210 program strives to help participants navigate.
An arguable loss for a niche shop like Bricks & Minifigs, Daniel is a LEGO fanatic and often puts extensive kits together in a matter of hours. "My sister got me a LEGO Ninjago set and I finished it in an hour or two," he said. "So far, I probably have 60 or 70 LEGO sets. I'm a Lego collector."
When he's not busy building a set, Daniel helps his parents around the house. "We've
been building my grandma's house behind our property," he said. "Recently, I've been helping my dad with plumbing and electricity. I'm not good at it, but my dad's teaching me."
Reflecting on the adage of "practice makes perfect," Daniel continued, "If I get a job, and it's something I do every day, I know I'll get better at it."
Ryan Sherrod
A Randolph High School graduate who lived in Georgia before moving to San Antonio in 2007, 24-year-old Ryan Sherrod rated Park Services and Guest Services as his top two rotations. But given a choice, Ryan would opt to work at Morgan's as a splash pad attendant, a position he held for five months in 2025. "I was basically like a lifeguard, but not quite a lifeguard," Ryan explained. "It was a seasonal job to get my foot in the door. I'm hoping I can come back this year [and possibly work] on the first aid or security team."
Driven and well-spoken with a clear idea of what he wants his future to look like, Ryan is currently enrolled in an Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) course at the Training Division Fire Academy. This month, he'll be tested on the skills he's learned in the program and hopefully earn his course completion certificate. After that, he plans to take a follow-up test to obtain national certification. "[I'm doing it] to gain experience to help me in my long-term goals, such as being able to do ROTC in college," Ryan said. "[I'd like to go to] UTSA. They have an Air Force ROTC detachment unit. I'll likely start out as a general military force student. If I do well, I'll hopefully be able to go to field training and then enroll in the professional officer course as the special student who would be a mentor for the cadets."
Inspired by his father's career as a military reserve pilot, Ryan has his sights set on earning his pilot's license one day. "I have goals to be the first cadet with my disability to be able to complete airborne training. Like the maroon berets - the ones that jump out of aircraft."
When he's not studying or planning his future, Ryan enjoys a bit of escapism in the form of video games, particularly Grand Theft Auto. "I may be one of the nicest guys here - but in Grand Theft Auto, I'm a hardened criminal," he said with a laugh. "But I do know the difference between fiction and nonfiction."
Bishop Padron
A charismatic young man, a JEE attendee Bishop Padron worked at H-E-B and Office Depot as part of a high school work program, and at the Burleson School for Innovation and Education after graduation. Throughout the JEE, Bishop maintained a positive and often witty attitude that matched his colorful outfit - which consisted of a pink shirt, retro shades and a backpack shaped like a hamburger.
Intriguingly, some of Bishop's favorite rotations centered around activities many of us avoid. "I would say the janitorial [tasks] were my favorites," he said of the Park Services rotations. "We wore gloves and used a [grabber to pick up litter] and also sprayed down tables and wiped them off. For the other [rotation] we cleaned inside the bathrooms. That was fun, I liked that one. It was very easy. The only hard part was [determining what needed to be cleaned]. So I cleaned it [all]."
Although you'd never guess it from his expression, Bishop felt less comfortable during the Customer/Food Service rotation, which entailed working the cash register and taking orders from other participants role-playing as customers at the Morgan's snack bar.
"That one was really hard," he said. "I got lost right away [because one of the customers] ordered cotton candy, pizza and a cheeseburger. I was like, 'Hold on. Give me a second."'
After lunch, we checked in on Bishop during his Revenue Service rotation at the Morgan's gift shop. Picking it up like a natural, he hung T-shirts on racks and stocked baseball caps and souvenir cups on shelves - and was even commended for his efficiency. He also seemed to enjoy the Ride Attendant rotation, which involved using a yard stick to determine if would-be park guests were tall enough to board rides.
Funded by U.S. Department of Education, Grant Number H421F240046.
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